Calipari Likes What He Saw Maper Maker In Win Over UAPB, Could Lead To More Minutes

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas head coach John Calipari joked Tuesday that he had asked the NCAA if he could play seven players at a time.

"They turned me down," Calipari said. "So you can only play five. I tried to get seven, but they're only going to let us put five on the court. "

The joke was in reference to an answer about Maper Maker, who had six points and eight rebounds on Tuesday but had a +51 plus-minus.

"This isn't communism," Calipari said. "Should Maper play more? Yeah, he got a 51, so he should play more. But if he plays more, wow, you're good. Someone got to play less. Just how it is. If Maper plays, someone got to play less."

Nov 3, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts during the second half against the UAPB Golden Lions at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maker was also active defensively, blocking two shots.

"He has a 51, and he's done it just about every game," Calipari said. "How about if you're on this court, how much is he commanding the ball to get shots. Do you want him on the court when you're on the court? 'Oh yeah, more shots for me. I want him out there, coach. Put in Maper. His four or five shots. Let me take those.' That's what he does. So now you can put him out as a five, but you can also put him out at a four. "

Fellow big man Cooper Bowser was also pleased with Maker's performance.

"He was the biggest impact tonight," Bowser said. "He was plus 51, which is crazy, especially just on the defensive end. I say he's just everywhere. He covers up people's mistakes. He's always in the right spots, in the right positions, and he plays extremely hard. So he's a great player, and we're glad to have him, of course."

Tuesday's win was a balanced one in the box score for the Hogs. Jeremiah Wilkinson led UA in scoring with 23 points, while Jordan Smith Jr. added 20, Abdou Toure added 12 and Miikka Muurinen had 10. Bowser had eight points and seven rebounds, while Davion Thompson had seven points and four assists in his first collegiate game.

Much of Bowser's production came in the second half, which was a product of some motivation from Calipari in the locker room.

"Coach got on me," Bowser said. "You know, he wanted me to go after more rebounds and just play harder, so that's what I focused on, and it turned out well for me."

Needless to say, Monday went pretty well for the Razorbacks as a whole. The Hogs are 1-0 heading into a massive showdown in Washington, D.C., against No. 9 Virginia on Sunday.

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